Flapper flush valve

ABSTRACT

A flapper flush valve comprising an integral unitary flexible resilient valve unit provided with means whereby it may be anchored to fit around the overflow tube of a toilet tank, or may be connected to the projections or trunions on an overflow tube, or may be anchored to a support member other than the overflow tube.

United States Patent 1191 Gore et al. 1 1 Jan. 2, 1973 54] FLAPPER FLUSHVALVE 2,787,004 4/1957 Zinkil et al ..4/s7 P 3,167,787 2/l965 Conneal..4/57 P 1 lnvemorsl William Eusene 3,154,794 11/1964 AntunegJr ..4 5? PShapiro, both of Skokie, lll.

- Primary Examiner-Henry K. Artis [73] Ass1gnee. :fatrice Foods Company,Skoiue, Attorney Max R. Kraus [22] Filed: April 19, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT[2]] Appl. No.: 135,252 A flapper flush valve comprising an integralunitary 'flexible resilient valve unit provided with means whereby itmay be anchored to fit around the overflow US. Cl. ..4/57 P, t b f a til t t k, or y b connected t th p [51] Int. Cl. ..E03d 1/34 jections of"unions on an overflow tube or may be Fleld of Search ..4/56, 57, 67, Panchored to a upport member other than the overflow tube.

[56] References Cited 6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS2,767,406 10/1956 Bennett ..4/57 P FLAPPER FLUSH VALVE BRIEF SUMMARY OFTHE INVENTION The prior art discloses various types of flapper flushvalves which have means whereby they fit over and around the overflowtube of a toilet tank, while others are provided with means forattachment to the projections or trunions on an overflow tube, and stillothers are provided with means whereby they are attached to and anchoredto support means in the toilet tank, other than the overflow tube. Eachof these flapper valves are therefore attached in the toilet tankaccording to their particular construction and this necessitates asupply of flapper ball valves of each of the various types to fit and beaccommodated in a particular tank, thus requiring a manufacturer tobuild three or more different types of flapper valves and requires thesupplier to stock and maintain an inventory of each of the various typesof flapper valves, all of which adds to the cost of manufacture andnecessitates maintaining an inventory of different types of flappervalves.

An object of this invention therefore is to provide a flapper flushvalve which in one construction can be made so that it can beaccommodated and attached to any type of toilet tank, that is, it may beconnected'by slipping same over an overflow tube, or it may be connectedto the projections or trunions on the on the overflow tube, or it may beconnected to attaching means in the toilet tank other than to theoverflow tube.

Another object of this invention is to provide a flapper flush valvewhich is universally adaptable for mounting in the various toilet tanksso that it could be used in any one of such toilet tanks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view of the flapper valve of this invention which has beenslipped over the overflow tube.

FIG. '2 is a view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the flapper valve attached to pins or trunionson the overflow tube with the sleeve portion of the unit cut or removedfrom the valve.

FIG. 4 is a view taken on line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view of the flapper valve attached to a post in the toilettank with the sleeve and the upwardly extending tabs removed.

FIG. 6 is a view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5, and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7--7 of FIG. 1 but omitting theoverflow tube.

The flapper flush valve unit forming this invention is generallydesignated by the numeral 10 and is formed or molded as a single unitaryconstruction of rubber or like material which is flexible and resilient,and comprises a body portion 12 which has a front portion 14 providedwith a closure 16, an intermediate portion 18 which has the sleeve 20,spaced upwardly extending tabs 22 adjacent to but spaced from the sleeve20, and at the rear portion 26 has a transversely extending slot 28. Atthe intermediate portion 18 of the body around a portion of the sleevethere is a U-shaped cutout or opening 30 which extends forwardly of thesleeve as at 32 and to the opposite sides 34 of the sleeve. The sides 34of the cutout are parallel to but inwardly of the tabs 22. With thecutout or opening 30, the intermediate portion 18 of the body isprovided with two spaced flexible side hinge arms 36 which connect thefront portion 14 to the rear portion 26. A peripheral stiffening bead 38is molded on the upper surface of the body portion and extendscompletely around the entire body portion.

The closure member 16 has an annular raised portion 40 extendingupwardly of the top of the body, and a depending hollow float bulb 42which is open as at 44 at the bottom thereof. The float bulb 42 servesas a flotation chamber and the opening 44 may be closed by a plug, notshown, when desired. The underside of the front portion of the bodysurrounding the float bulb is smooth and unobstructed and saidsurrounding surface forms a sealing portion 43 so that when the floatbulb is received in the usual flush valve fitting of a conventionaltoilet flush tank the sealing portion 43 will engage the surroundingsurface of the valve fitting and seal it off to close the outlet of thewater from the flush tank.

Projecting forwardly of the front portion 14 and formed integrallytherewith is a tab 64 having an opening 65 to which is attached aflexible chain 66 for lifting the closure from the closed position bymeans of the usual operation. The spaced tabs 22 are provided withtransversely extending alined openings 23.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the conventional toilet tank has aconventional overflow tube 46 and a tank outlet valve fitting generallyindicated at 48. In this type of construction the sleeve 20 of the unitis slipped over the overflow tube 46 and the float bulb 42 would bepositioned within the outlet valve fitting 48. The unit is thus firmlyanchored to the conventional overflow pipe and is operated by liftingthe front portion 14 by means of the chain 46 which lifts the float bulb42 from the valve fitting 48 to allow the water in the tank to flush thetoilet, after which the float bulb will again seat in the valve fitting48 and the sealing portion 43 will seal the outlet.

In tanks such as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the overflow tube 50 isprovided with a pair of oppositely extending pins or trunions 52. Inthis instance the sleeve 20 may be cut off from the unit by cuttingalong the line 54 to provide withthe U-shaped opening 30 arectangularshaped opening 56 which will surround the overflow tube butwill be free from contact therewith. The tab openings 23 will then bepositioned on the pins 52 to secure the unit in proper anchoredposition.

In other types of toilet flush tanks, such as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6,where the unit cannot be secured to the overflow tube it may be securedby means of the elongated slot 28 at the rear of the member. In suchtanks there are anchoring posts or uprights, generally designated by thenumeral 60, which are usually provided on the bottom of the tank, andthe elongated slot 28 is positioned over and on such posts to thusfirmly anchor the flapper flush valve thereto. In such instances thesleeve 20 is cut away, as previously described, and the tabs 22 may alsobe cut away, as shown in FIG. 5, however, even if the tabs are left, therectangular openings 56 formed by the cut-away sleeve will preventinterference with the overflow tube in the tank.

The foregoing describes the three methods of attachment by means of thisinvention and, as can be appreciated, the flapper flush valve whichincorporates all of the foregoing methods of attachment can be eachindividually used depending upon whichever type of attachment isapplicable under the particular circumstances. Thus, the inventionherein lends itself to a universality of attachment to various types oftoilet flush tanks.

What is claim is:

1. A unitary formed flapper flush valve for use in a toilet tank havingan outlet opening for the water to pass to the toilet from the tank andan overflow tube, said unitary flapper flush valve can be accommodatedby any one of three types of tanks and comprising a front portion havinga float bulb adapted to seat in the outlet opening, an intermediateportion having an annular opening and a pair of spaced tabs withopenings therein which tabs extend on the opposite sides of the annularopening, said annular opening and said tabs adapted to be selectivelyused for either connecting the annular opening to the overflow tube orconnecting the tabs through their openings to the trunions or pins onthe overflow pipe, said unitary flapper valve having a rear portionprovided with an opening whereby said flapper valve may be selectivelyattached to an anchoring member in said tank.

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the annular opening hasa sleeve portion whereby the sleeve is accommodated on the overflowtube.

3. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the opening in theintermediate portion is positioned between the front portion and therear portion and the intermediate portion is connected to the rearportion but is separated from the front portion and the sides of theintermediate portion by a continuous slot.

4. A structure as set forth in claim 3 in which the tabs are positionedon the sides of the intermediate portion and extend upwardly thereof.

5. A structure as set forth in claim 4 in which the unit is formed ofaflexible resilient material.

6. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the unit is formed of aflexible resilient material.

III

1. A unitary formed flapper flush valve for use in a toilet tank havingan outlet opening for the water to pass to the toilet from the tank andan overflow tube, said unitary flapper flush valve can be accommodatedby any one of three types of tanks and comprising a front pOrtion havinga float bulb adapted to seat in the outlet opening, an intermediateportion having an annular opening and a pair of spaced tabs withopenings therein which tabs extend on the opposite sides of the annularopening, said annular opening and said tabs adapted to be selectivelyused for either connecting the annular opening to the overflow tube orconnecting the tabs through their openings to the trunions or pins onthe overflow pipe, said unitary flapper valve having a rear portionprovided with an opening whereby said flapper valve may be selectivelyattached to an anchoring member in said tank.
 2. A structure as setforth in claim 1 in which the annular opening has a sleeve portionwhereby the sleeve is accommodated on the overflow tube.
 3. A structureas set forth in claim 1 in which the opening in the intermediate portionis positioned between the front portion and the rear portion and theintermediate portion is connected to the rear portion but is separatedfrom the front portion and the sides of the intermediate portion by acontinuous slot.
 4. A structure as set forth in claim 3 in which thetabs are positioned on the sides of the intermediate portion and extendupwardly thereof.
 5. A structure as set forth in claim 4 in which theunit is formed of a flexible resilient material.
 6. A structure as setforth in claim 1 in which the unit is formed of a flexible resilientmaterial.